Senior threw two no-hitters and registered more than 140 strikeouts

From 43 feet away, it takes a 60 mph fastball less than half a second to cross home plate.

If a batter has good hands and better eyesight, they might stand a chance — but they better start swinging as soon as they see the ball whip under the hip.

Even if you see it, they probably won't be able to hit Palm Beach Gardens ace pitcher Shelby Turnier.

The senior pitcher can pepper the strike zone with 65 mph fastballs and devastating off-speed pitches that keep hitters guessing.

Turnier's success has propelled Gardens (24-1) to the nation's top ranking — making them the obvious favorites to win the FHSAA Class 8A state championship.

Tuesday, Gardens will open District 9-8A tournament play against Palm Beach Central (18-8).

The Gators will lean on Turnier, who won all but three of Gardens' games this season en-route to a 21-0 record, to carry the load in the single-elimination tournament.

District 9-8A won't be an easy win for No. 1 Gardens. While the Gators might be the clear-cut favorite, the other opponents in the district (No. 2 seed Jupiter, 3. Wellington, 4. Palm Beach Central) all have the ability to knock off the Gators.

What gives them a chance against the nation's top team? What else? Pitching.

Turnier, who can hum fastballs past hitters at a rate equivalent to a 95-mph pitch in baseball, will start every game for the Gators in the postseason. To start every game is a feat that would be unheard of on the baseball diamond, but in softball, a few hours rest is all a pitcher needs to get back to the pitching rubber — none the worse for wear.

With every game vitally important, every squad will go to its ace.

"It all starts in the circle," Gardens coach Randy Jackson said. "We're not taking this for granted... but we're going to go as far as Shelby will take us."

Having the future Central Florida Knight on the mound is a huge advantage for Gardens. Turnier threw two no-hitters and registered more than 140 strikeouts this season.

"We know that Shelby isn't going to go out and strike out 21 straight hitters," Jackson said. "We're going to have to rely on our defense and hitting — she needs to have confidence that she can let the ball go in play."

That's difference between Gardens and the competition: the skill outside of Turnier's circle. Center fielder Ta' Coia Williams had eight home runs and batted over .500 this season, and at first base Taylor Schwarz is a feared hitter in the middle of the Gardens lineup.

With a stellar defense to boot, Gardens is the favorite, but those things don't mean a thing if the person in the circle, Turnier, isn't her normal dominant self.